NKorea Thanks US Over Piracy Standoff

NKorea Thanks US Over Piracy Standoff: "NKorea Thanks US Over Piracy Standoff Nov 8 11:38 AM US/Eastern By JAE-SOON CHANG Associated Press Writer Write a Comment SEOUL, South Korea (AP) - North Korea expressed rare gratitude to the United States Thursday for helping one of its ships repel pirates, the latest sign of improving relations between the longtime foes as the North scales back its nuclear weapons program. The U.S. Navy's help last week to North Korean crewmen fighting off Somali pirates was unprecedented in the half century of hostility between the Cold War foes, a spokesman for the Naval Historial Center in Washington said. The Navy boarded the North Korean ship Dai Hong Dan to provide medical assistance at the crew's invitation after they had already overpowered and detained all pirates in the waters off Somalia. The North's Korean Central News Agency hailed the rare maritime collaboration as a 'symbol of cooperation' between the two countries 'in the struggle against terrorism,' and pledged to work with the international community to fight terrorism."